Around the World; Philippine Police Search For Missing Athlete

Reuters

Published: January 3, 1982

MANILA, Jan. 2—
The Philippine police reported today that they were intensifying their search for a prominent athlete said by his family to have secretly married a daughter of President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the United States.

The family of Tommy Manotoc said it had received a ransom note purportedly written by Mr. Manotoc, a 32-year-old basketball coach who won the Philippines amateur golf championship four times, who was last seen dining with Maria Imelda Marcos, 26, last Tuesday.

They told reporters he had eloped with Miss Marcos in the United States last month after divorcing his wife, a former beauty queen. However, the official Philippines News Agency said Mr. Manotoc was still married to th e former Aurora Pijuan. The family also said they understood that t he marriage was opposed by President Marcos. Mr. Manotoc's mother, Ca rmen Manotoc, dismissed the ransom note as an obvious fake.